Cooking

 Many vegetables feel right at home on the grill, but some just aren’t cut out for it, especially those with a high water content. Cucumbers are a no-no on the grill, as is celery, lettuce or most leafy greens.

A highly skilled backyard chef like me has no trouble grilling asparagus, eggplant, onions and even cabbage. Bell peppers, or even the hot variety, and onions are natural grilling choices.

 Garlic has always been recognized for its smell, flavor and medicinal properties. Although it is actually a vegetable, most people, including me, regard garlic as an herb, and powdered garlic is usually found on the spice rack at grocery stores.

Available peeled, chopped, minced, creamed, preserved in oil or powdered, fresh garlic still remains unsurpassed in its taste. Elephant garlic is really not true garlic, but a relative of the leek. It has a very mild flavor and characteristically has larger heads.

Traditionally made with veal in combination with prosciutto and fresh sage leaves, Saltimbocca is a dish that you just want to keep eating because it tastes so good.

For a long time, the only parts of a chicken that held my interest were the legs, wings and breasts — I was never much of a thigh guy. Lately, though, I decided to embrace them and have begun looking around for different ways to cook them.

Surprisingly, they have the best flavor and tend to stay juicy even if you overcook them. Full of flavorful dark meat, they are much cheaper than those top-dollar skinless chicken breasts.